The Twitter-Google partnership means a presence on Twitter is now an SEO requirement for hotels.

Yesterday, Google and Twitter both announced that Tweets will be displayed in mobile search results on mobile browsers as well as on the Google App for iOS and Android. Eventually, Google and Twitter plan to expand this to desktop search and other languages.

Can you say “game changer”?

We’ve always said a presence on social media is important for your hotel and that hoteliers cannot ignore the increase in mobile usage, if not simply for the advantages of better Google search rankings. With the two coming together to display Tweets prominently at the top of mobile search results, hoteliers must pay attention. There is no avoiding Twitter any longer.

Let’s use an example:

Say your property has a Memorial Day Weekend package or last-minute travel deal. You diligently put it on your website, you may even post it on your blog. Those are great ways to gain traction in search and to provide fresh, relevant content to your site visitors, but it can take some time to really gain SEO footing that way — sometimes weeks. So unless you have the time and energy to plan and post that content a month or more ahead of the holiday or event you’re talking about, it may not serve you well in the short term.

Now, what if you took that blog and tweeted about it? Maybe your tweet includes the city your hotel is in as well as a few relevant hashtags. With Google including Tweets in mobile search results, if you have a last-minute traveler or millennial that wants to book a stay this weekend, they’ll now see your tweet as a real-time result to their search. This gives your property visibility and searchers the opportunity to click thru to your blog and then hopefully your site.

Like we said, game changer.

Learn more about how you can utilize Twitter to harness the power of mobile search and reach new audiences by contacting us today. Being active on Twitter is no longer optional. Google adding tweets to search results now makes Twitter an SEO requirement for hotels.